Prosthetics in Ukraine: Myths and Reality

Should one get their prostheses in Ukraine?

More and more Ukrainians are losing their limbs and patients with injuries are ready to test their first prosthetic devices and learn to live actively with them (after all, we are mostly talking about young men).

Since 2014, when Russia seized part of Ukrainian territories, the field of prosthetics/orthotics in Ukraine, as well as the accompanying rehabilitation, have reached a new level of development and continue to develop.

Protez Hub brought new knowledge to Ukraine and Ukrainian specialists know how to work with components from different manufacturers and how to provide the patient with such a product that will allow him/her to return to the most usual way of life.

What should one know about limb prosthetics in Ukraine?

Let's dispel several myths about limb prosthetics in Ukraine, as well as discuss what to do if a person has received an injury and needs a limb prosthesis.

• Specialists who make a prosthetic product are not doctors. They are prosthetists. They have separate certification. 
• Prosthetics abroad is often an attractive offer from charitable foundations, but then there is the problem of service and knowledge of the patient by a specialist. If a person returns to Ukraine with a prosthesis that was made abroad, he has to start all over again: search for a company where it will be serviced, search for a specialist, documentation, coordination of further maintenance and processing of the product (sometimes necessary), etc.
• Prosthetics is expensive, but in Ukraine, by law, it is provided by the state. Of course, with the war, there are certain burdens on the budget, and therefore, when proposals from charitable foundations arise, it is worth asking them to help with components for prosthetics in Ukraine: it will be cheaper and more rational from the point of view of further life with a prosthesis. 
• Today, Ukraine has specialists with knowledge and world-class experience. Some are already certified to an international standard thanks to a course run by the NATO Trust Fund.

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How should one prepare for prosthetics?

When the patient is in the hospital, it is worth starting to think about prosthetics already at that stage.

Unfortunately, no one abolished the bureaucracy. Therefore, you need to ask relatives and friends to help you collect the necessary documents for the next step (the hospital will explain the process).

It is worth starting to decide on a facility that will provide prosthetics and further maintenance (there are public ones, there are private ones, and there are good specialists everywhere).

How to know which company is good and which is bad? Communicate with people who have already gone through the whole process and can give a lot of advice.

For this, there is a website, japoruch.com, where you can quickly register and connect with mentors or other users in the forum who can answer various questions. This site was also created so that patients do not become victims of pressure and lobbying from companies or manufacturers. The patient has the full right to choose a prosthetic company himself. Bazaznan.protezhub.com has links to exercise videos and helpful YouTube channels.

Limb prosthetics is a very individual process and is not done quickly.

Even before starting prosthetics, it is necessary to do certain exercises in order to maintain the range of motion and prevent contracture.

To determine the best combination of prosthetic components, the specialist will ask what the patient wants to do in the future, what hobbies and interests he has.

Then the combination is selected and built into one product with an individually manufactured socket.

Communication between the patient and the specialist is extremely important. The prosthesis should be comfortable and of high quality.

How long does it all take? From several months to a year.

Much depends on the patient's motivation for maximum recovery of functions. 

Where can one get more information on prosthetics in Ukraine?

Meanwhile, Protez Hub, in cooperation with the American charity organization ProsthetiKa, is doing everything possible to help Ukrainian specialists provide high-quality limb prosthetic services to Ukrainians who have suffered injuries. Regular Zoom calls are organized to discuss difficult cases; several specialists will directly participate in the training on the latest technologies; components for patients are selected taking into account the recommendations of foreign specialists with extensive work experience.

Prosthetics in Ukraine is the best choice if a person has suffered an injury, lost a limb and plans to continue living in Ukraine. We hope that the above information will help someone to make the right decision and find answers to their questions.
 

Hot Line: +38 0501 776839 (PROTEZ)